Peter - Frist Among His Brothers
Greetings to you in the name of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This week we begin a short series of articles on the 12 Apostles. As is fitting, we begin with Peter who was truly a leader among his brothers.
It is appropriate to look upon Peter this week, having just entered into the Lenten season and beginning our journey to Easter. It is in Peter's life we see the love and forgiveness of Jesus for each of us. In the Apostle Peter we see glimpses of ourselves, and is this not also where we see the hope that is ours?
Peter was born to a fisherman named "Jona," or as we would pronounce it, John. He was given the name Simon. Simon was not an Old Testament name but one which was very popular for Jewish children in the days of Jesus. This is evidenced by no less than nine "Simons" referenced in the New Testament. Peter was the oldest son of John and along with his brother Andrew, he owned a fishing boat. The two were partners with the sons of Zebedee, James and John.
Peter was at least familiar with John the Baptist and had heard John's message of repentance, but he was not present with Andrew when John pointed to a man and proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew and Philip followed Jesus and after conversing with Him, and Andrew sought his brother Peter with a startling message, “We have found the Messiah.”
Every Jew who worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob looked for, and longed for the arrival of the promised Messiah. Andrew's message must have created great interest in Peter for he followed Andrew to Jesus. Jesus immediately seeing Peter said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means stone).
Jesus immediately saw in Peter something which He would use in the work of His kingdom. Later when Peter made the great confession, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God,” Jesus expanded the meaning of Peter’s new name. Jesus said, “Blessed are you Simon son of John, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you . . . And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Peter’s confession of Christ as the Son of God, as Savior of the world would be and is the foundation of the Church.
From the heights of confession to the depths of denial, Peter is a man who was capable of anything. Yet the man who stood alone and made such as statement concerning Jesus was the same man who said three time, “I do not know the man.” As I said, from the heights of confession to the depths of denial, Peter is a man who was capable of anything. Yet it is exactly in this that we find our hope. Peter was in despair. He knew who Jesus was and in spite of knowing, he denied Jesus. Peter sinned by denying Jesus and yet Jesus did not deny Peter.
In the upper room on that first Easter evening Jesus appeared to His disciples. The reality of who Jesus is and all He had accomplished was just beginning to sink in to their hearts and minds. Judas had hanged himself, and the other eleven were in hiding. Thomas was absent from the rest. Behind locked doors because of fear, Jesus come with a simple but life changing, transforming message, “Peace be with you.” Jesus spoke to His hiding disciples of “peace,” real peace. Peace which has opened the way for a real relationship between each one of them and God through the sacrifice He made on the cross. This is also our hope! We know of the peace Jesus has established, and we share in this peace through simple faith! We are now the children of God!
Luke and Paul both tell us that Jesus made a special Easter Day appearance to Peter before He appeared to the other disciples. Peter had denied Jesus, but Jesus would not deny Peter. Jesus restored Peter to a place of leadership and conferred on him and the other apostles the Office of the Ministry with the words, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of anyone the are retained.” And again, “Having gone, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to harken to all I have commanded you and lo I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Peter, and all the apostles, were to be used by Jesus to bring others to faith in Him. With all the weakness of a sinful man, Peter was acceptable to Jesus in faith. Jesus used Peter and we are here today because Peter proclaimed Jesus as Savior to the world.
As we journey toward the cross and Easter Sunday, let us each remember we too have denied Jesus. Maybe not in so many words, but by a life lived in sin and by the failure to do He will, we have denied Him. We in no way deserve His grace and mercy but He grants it to us because He loves us. He forgives us each time we sin, and He restores us to a prominent place of service in His kingdom. Peter is gone. He is in the midst of “all the company of heaven.” We alone are left. We are here to carry on the work of the kingdom. As Peter stood with the other apostles, so we stand together as people who know the forgiveness of God in Christ. May we seek to proclaim this forgiveness to the world as Peter did. May all the people of this world be blessed and may God be glorified! Amen.
God’s Blessings To You,
Pastor Russ
This week we begin a short series of articles on the 12 Apostles. As is fitting, we begin with Peter who was truly a leader among his brothers.
It is appropriate to look upon Peter this week, having just entered into the Lenten season and beginning our journey to Easter. It is in Peter's life we see the love and forgiveness of Jesus for each of us. In the Apostle Peter we see glimpses of ourselves, and is this not also where we see the hope that is ours?
Peter was born to a fisherman named "Jona," or as we would pronounce it, John. He was given the name Simon. Simon was not an Old Testament name but one which was very popular for Jewish children in the days of Jesus. This is evidenced by no less than nine "Simons" referenced in the New Testament. Peter was the oldest son of John and along with his brother Andrew, he owned a fishing boat. The two were partners with the sons of Zebedee, James and John.
Peter was at least familiar with John the Baptist and had heard John's message of repentance, but he was not present with Andrew when John pointed to a man and proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Andrew and Philip followed Jesus and after conversing with Him, and Andrew sought his brother Peter with a startling message, “We have found the Messiah.”
Every Jew who worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob looked for, and longed for the arrival of the promised Messiah. Andrew's message must have created great interest in Peter for he followed Andrew to Jesus. Jesus immediately seeing Peter said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means stone).
Jesus immediately saw in Peter something which He would use in the work of His kingdom. Later when Peter made the great confession, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God,” Jesus expanded the meaning of Peter’s new name. Jesus said, “Blessed are you Simon son of John, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you . . . And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Peter’s confession of Christ as the Son of God, as Savior of the world would be and is the foundation of the Church.
From the heights of confession to the depths of denial, Peter is a man who was capable of anything. Yet the man who stood alone and made such as statement concerning Jesus was the same man who said three time, “I do not know the man.” As I said, from the heights of confession to the depths of denial, Peter is a man who was capable of anything. Yet it is exactly in this that we find our hope. Peter was in despair. He knew who Jesus was and in spite of knowing, he denied Jesus. Peter sinned by denying Jesus and yet Jesus did not deny Peter.
In the upper room on that first Easter evening Jesus appeared to His disciples. The reality of who Jesus is and all He had accomplished was just beginning to sink in to their hearts and minds. Judas had hanged himself, and the other eleven were in hiding. Thomas was absent from the rest. Behind locked doors because of fear, Jesus come with a simple but life changing, transforming message, “Peace be with you.” Jesus spoke to His hiding disciples of “peace,” real peace. Peace which has opened the way for a real relationship between each one of them and God through the sacrifice He made on the cross. This is also our hope! We know of the peace Jesus has established, and we share in this peace through simple faith! We are now the children of God!
Luke and Paul both tell us that Jesus made a special Easter Day appearance to Peter before He appeared to the other disciples. Peter had denied Jesus, but Jesus would not deny Peter. Jesus restored Peter to a place of leadership and conferred on him and the other apostles the Office of the Ministry with the words, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of anyone the are retained.” And again, “Having gone, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to harken to all I have commanded you and lo I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Peter, and all the apostles, were to be used by Jesus to bring others to faith in Him. With all the weakness of a sinful man, Peter was acceptable to Jesus in faith. Jesus used Peter and we are here today because Peter proclaimed Jesus as Savior to the world.
As we journey toward the cross and Easter Sunday, let us each remember we too have denied Jesus. Maybe not in so many words, but by a life lived in sin and by the failure to do He will, we have denied Him. We in no way deserve His grace and mercy but He grants it to us because He loves us. He forgives us each time we sin, and He restores us to a prominent place of service in His kingdom. Peter is gone. He is in the midst of “all the company of heaven.” We alone are left. We are here to carry on the work of the kingdom. As Peter stood with the other apostles, so we stand together as people who know the forgiveness of God in Christ. May we seek to proclaim this forgiveness to the world as Peter did. May all the people of this world be blessed and may God be glorified! Amen.
God’s Blessings To You,
Pastor Russ
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1 Comment
oh petter aa komba you are so amising in your acting performance that you are now doing right i thank an appreshate you for your job